CORNEA MODEL: Light-Scattering Patterns from a Two-Dimensional Nonrandom Assembly of Anisotropic Rods

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The light scattered by a cornea occurs mainly at small angles. The patterns obtained experimentally showed a characteristic maxima at oo angles and a four lobe 0-90° pattern in the h mode and a two lobe 0-180° pattern in the In mode. A model system is presented here in which anisotropic rods (collagen fibrils) embedded in an isotropic medium (ground substances) form a two-dimensional assembly (lamellae) which are stacked in a nonrandom fashion (stroma). The light-scattering patterns from such a model system were calculated by varying a number of parameters, such as the length of the rod, its average orientation, etc. Thus the role of each parameter in the model in influencing light-scattering patterns in I+ and In mode was evaluated. Finally, the computer-simulated patterns were matched to the experimental patterns and the numerical values of the parmeters of the model were obtained.